


The Unclothed

by Beautiful_Doom



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Folklore, Follows the movie, Newt Finds a New Beast, cryptid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-03 17:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14001351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautiful_Doom/pseuds/Beautiful_Doom
Summary: "They are called The Unclothed. People who had their skin stolen. They wander in darkness and shadow until they reclaim their skin. It is the only way for them to become human again. If they never get their skin… they are lost to this world."Newt finds a strange new beast that is believed to have once been human. While the creature does show human qualities, Newt is skeptical. As he tries to get the creature back home and learn more about it, Newt must decide if there is any truth to the myths that surround it, and if so... will he help the beast recover its skin and become human again?





	1. The Unclothed

**Author's Note:**

> Finally decided to post this here.

Poachers. Smugglers. Horrible people that Newt did not like at all. A ship lined up neatly at an old dock, but there were only two crates the men were fighting over. Both looked nondescript, but one was stamped with a local destination and the other was stamped with the letters NY. The local one, Newt knew it was the horned serpent stolen from the local village. Their guardian that kept them safe and they kept fed with tribute.

The other crate was a mystery.

Nonetheless, Newt knew it more than likely housed some innocent creature that needed his help. Newt was here to help, and he would. His help came in the form of a quick duel that had both men bound and ready to be picked up when Newt called them in to the local law enforcement. Pity them, said enforcers were very strict about their new poaching laws.

With them out of the way, Newt turned his attention to the crates. The mystery one had him curious to see what else these men had been smuggling. Upon examination, he discovered the crate was not going to NY, but had come from NY. NY… what city could NY be?

Shaking his head, Newt waved his wand to open the crate… and was promptly tackled to the ground. 

Whatever it was, it was humanoid, but it was pitch black. It’s skin was like black leather, and its eyes were devoid of pupil or iris. It had hair, or so Newt thought… but its limbs were long and spindly like spider legs.

He stared, staying still… waiting to see what the creature would do. 

It blinked… then opened its mouth wide.

Wider.

And wider.

Its lower jaw opened until it was down in what Newt would have guessed was the chest cavity. Something long and just as black slithered out of the gaping maw, leaking black oil onto Newt and the ground. 

Its tongue.

But before Newt could do anything else, the creature was gone, disappearing into the night. Newt slowly got up, wiping the oil from his shirt and vest. It wasn’t exactly oil, but it had the same consistency. 

Whatever it was, it came from that beast, and Newt had never seen a beast like it before. He was excited. Maybe he would see it again. Maybe he’d be able to study it. Add it to his book.

But for now, Newt had to return the serpent in the other crate. 

The village was grateful to Newt for returning their guardian. The snake quickly slithered off to it’s home, curling around its tributes and settling down. The village elder, a man named Dow, approached with his translator and kissed Newt’s hand.

“We thank you for what you have done,” his translator, Jaril, said. “We are in your debt, Scamander. Please allow us to repay your kindness.”

“No need,” Newt smiled and dusted off his coat. “Always a pleasure to help a beast.” He paused and looked thoughtful. “Actually, maybe you can help me. The poachers had another beast in a crate and I’ve never seen it before. It looked like a human, but it was so spindly and kind of stretched out. It had black skin and these blank eyes and an enormous mouth.”

Jaril’s eyes went wide as he translated it to Dow. Dow frowned and spoke solemnly as if he were speaking of the dead.

“They are called The Unclothed,” said Jaril. “People who had their skin stolen. They wander in darkness and shadow until they reclaim their skin. It is the only way for them to become human again. If they never get their skin… they are lost to this world.”

Newt’s eyes went wide as well. He’d never heard of anything like this. Was it a beast? A curse? What was that thing he saw in the crate? How did it get here?

“The Unclothed…” he said softly. “How horrible…”

“Scamander, the sun is going down. Please accept shelter with us through the night. We shall have a meal in your honor before you leave in the morning,” said Jaril. He gestured at one of the houses, smiling warmly.

Newt nodded. It was too late to leave now. Too dangerous. He followed Jaril to his room to get ready for bed.


	2. A New Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt meets the mysterious beast again.

Newt had been sleeping soundly in his tent when the small wards he had erected alerted him that he had a visitor. He carefully parted the flaps of his tent and looked outside.

His fire was down to burning embers, casting a small glow around his campsite. He could see something moving, poking around in his things. His suitcase was in the tent with him, so it wasn’t poking around in anything important. Long clumsy fingers fought with buttons and buckles on his pack, but it did manage to get a few pockets open.

Newt watched as it began to eat the dried fruits and meats he had packed for his trip. Newt would let it, he could always get more from a market.

“The Unclothed were once human,” Dow had told him through Jaril. “They are drawn to the things they had when they were once human. They cannot speak for their voices are stolen with their skins. Their minds suffer in the darkness, slowly forgetting when they were human. If too much time passes, they forget their skin. They forget their life. They are lost in the darkness.”

Newt found himself curious. Was it all true, or was it some superstition? Was this creature once human? Who had they been? How had their skin been stolen? 

He’d come across beasts that had some extraordinary myths and folklore attached, but it had all been explained away by the beast’s biology. But this was one he wasn’t sure of. He needed to study this creature more. 

The creature was still eating, but its mouth did not open to the same size Newt had seen it at before. It still had the long tongue and jagged teeth, and it still looked as Newt remembered. 

Newt slowly crawled from his tent and lit the tip of his wand. The creature flinched and turned to face him, but it didn’t run off. Newt took that as a good sign and smiled. 

“Hello,” he said. “I’ve never seen a beast like you before. Remember me? I freed you from that crate at the docks. Are you hungry? I have more food in that pack, would you like some?”

The creature didn’t appear to be listening. It was staring at Newt’s wand intently. It slowly crawled forward on all fours and reached out for the wand. Newt let it take the wand, curious to see what it would do. The creature took the wand and waved it in a way that Newt recognized as a simple spell. Nothing happened, and the creature seemed to get frustrated. It tried again three more times with the same result. Finally, it gave the wand back and curled in on itself sadly.

“Do you know how to use a wand?” Newt asked. The way the creature had waved it was too precise to be coincidence. Maybe it really had been human once before. Then again, maybe it was just very good at mimicry and had seen wizards cast spells before. Something interesting was going on, and Newt wanted to help.

“Hey…” He slowly reached out to pat the creature’s shoulder. It flinched slightly, but settled down, looking at Newt curiously. “Listen… I’m going to be leaving soon. Would you like to come with me? I can help you. If you were really once a human… I will help you get your skin back. Would you like that?”

The creature seemed to be thinking about it, but Newt couldn’t be sure. Its expressions weren’t clear. 

“I’m writing a book, you see,” he said. “I could write about you too. I’ve been traveling the world, and I’m going to New York next-”

He flinched when the creature screeched. It grabbed Newt by the shoulders and shook him, shrieking and hissing and seemingly trying to speak. It got more and more frustrated until it began pounding the ground in its anger.

“Hey!” Newt once again put a hand on the creature’s shoulder. “You are welcome to come with me. I can make you a place to stay and you can come with me on my travels. I’ll take good care of you, I promise.”

The creature hissed, but seemed to settle down. Newt rubbed its back, feeling the leather of its skin. It seemed to agree. It seemed to want to go with him. But why that reaction?

And then Newt could have kicked himself as it clicked. ‘NY’ on the crate. This creature had come from New York.


	3. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt helps his newest guest get set up in the case

“It needs a name,” Newt mused to himself as he looked over the notes he’d written about his newest guest. The Unclothed was currently sitting on the ground by his shack and eating a pack of crackers Newt had given it. Hadn’t been hard to get it into the case after Newt started giving it food.

Newt’s notes consisted of the legend Dow had told him, the few foods the Unclothed had eaten so far, and some speculations about its habitat. Newt remembered how Dow had said that the Unclothed had once been human, but Newt had no way of knowing if that was true or not. Locals always had a tendency to create folklore and myths about beasts based on what they see the beasts do or what they look like. The Unclothed really did look like some kind of grotesque human, so the myth would have fit nicely.

But Newt couldn’t afford to be distracted with myths. He needed facts. Facts would help him with the Unclothed. But he so far had very few facts.

“Right,” Newt closed his notebook and tucked set it aside. “We need to make you a place to stay.”

The Unclothed kept munching on its crackers as if it had no interest in Newt’s words. At least, it looked uninterested. Newt really could not get a read on its emotions.

The Unclothed had been brought in from New York, but that did not mean the Unclothed’s natural habitat was New York. Dow’s village had known about this creature, so perhaps that was its habitat? But then why were the poachers going through the trouble of bringing it back? Unless you could use it to catch another somehow…

Newt shook his head and decided to try that one first. He created a dry sandy environment with a few trees and used a charm to turn up the heat. It looked rather nice, if he did say so himself. The habitat was complete, but The Unclothed was still sitting and eating. Newt would wait until later to see if the creature liked its habitat. For now, it needed a name.

The only problem with a name was that The Unclothed had no visible genitalia. The area between its legs where a human would have genitals was completely smooth and showed no signs of really having anything there. Newt still did not know enough about it to be able to properly tell if it was male or female.

His solution? A unisex name.

He would call the Unclothed Alex.

“Alex,” He said, pointing to the Unclothed. The creature looked at him curiously, tilting its head. It finished the last cracker and looked behind Newt at the new habitat.

“Look, it’s for you,” Newt said. “It’s like your home. You can stay here for now. Do you want to see?”

Alex slowly walked towards the habitat, still keeping on all four limbs. Newt had noticed how Alex walked, and was curious about it since Alex’s skeletal structure did not necessitate the need for all four limbs. If anything, it looked like Alex would walk on only two legs, but Newt would examine that later.

Alex ran their fingers through the sand and poked at the trees. They looked up at the fake sun and curled up a bit, shielding themself with their hands. Ah, so they did not like the sun.

“Oh sorry,” Newt already had his wand out. He took away the sun and changed the habitat to night time. Perhaps The Unclothed were nocturnal. Alex seemed to prefer the lower heat, but… they soon walked away as if the habitat was not familiar. Ah… so perhaps Newt had gotten it wrong. Well, he still had some ideas to try out. Maybe for now he’d let Alex wander until they found a habitat they liked and then Newt would make one for them based on that.

Newt did find Alex curled up and asleep a little later, but Alex was not in one of Newt’s habitats. They were in Newt’s shed. More specifically, his bed. The blanket was only partially covering Alex as if the creature could not figure out how to make it cover them completely, but they did look comfortable and at peace. 

Newt tapped his chin in thought. Perhaps the myth had some basis in fact after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you like this story. I've been trying my hand at horror/creepypasta stories.


	4. The Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt's journey to America has begun

Newt was on the ship heading to New York, and had made sure to lock his cabin door before heading back into his case with his breakfast. He balanced a plate of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and potatoes as he climbed down the ladder and into his shack.

Being the social caterpillar that he was, Newt saw no reason to go out and see the other passengers. He had all he needed right in his case. Not to mention, he wanted to observe Alex for a bit and get some notes. Alex was still a big unknown to him, and he needed to know more if he wanted to properly care for them.

He watched Alex explore their surroundings, taking notes as they did. Alex was sniffing the ground, but every now and then that long tongue would come out and lick something. So Alex relied on their sense of smell, but was their sense of taste just as important, or was it a way to mark territory? Some beasts did use pheromones in their saliva or urine to mark certain places.

Newt reached for his breakfast only to see that some of it was missing. He spotted two floating sausages and smiled as he saw what was happening. Alex perked up as they saw the food, and Dougal faded into view. Newt watched, ready to intervene if need be. Alex had proven themself calm, but they had yet to meet many of Newts beasts.

Dougal held the food up for Alex, and the other slowly reached out to take it. They shoved both sausages into their mouth and happily chewed. Newt made note that Alex’s mouth was able to stretch as well as unhinge. He still remembered their first meeting, and had fed Alex the night before. Alex had unhinged their jaw again and just poured a whole bowl of stew into their maw. They had shown aversion to raw meats, but ate the vegetables and fruits with no problem. Newt had been making the stew for himself when Alex had stolen a bowl from him. 

Newt also made note that Alex was not showing any aggression towards Dougal. That was good, as Newt did not want to have to restrain Alex or keep them from the other beasts. Socialization was important, granted The Unclothed could be a solitary species and maybe that was why Newt had never seen one before.

Newt began making some rough sketches as he followed Alex around. Alex did seem interested in some of the beasts. Some of the more… illegal ones to be exact. Newt hadn’t gotten around to getting any permits, but he never did as it always risked a beast getting confiscated or killed. Alex reached out to poke at the Graphorns, showing no fear. The baby tried to get Alex to play, but the other seemed content to examine the Graphorns instead. The Nundu was lazily sunning herself when Alex decided to look at her as well. They looked at the Nundu’s poison sac and nodded as if satisfied. Newt was confused as the Nundu’s poison sac had been cut and was unable to produce any toxins.

Newt’s jaw actually dropped when he saw Alex catch the Niffler so easily. The sneaky bugger had been going for an escape, but Alex had caught him and held him firmly in their hands. It was hard to tell, but it looked Alex was silently scolding the Niffler. 

The sounds Alex made were hard to translate. It involved a lot of hissing and clicking tapping their teeth. Sometimes it involved low guttural screeching. Visually, it was strange as Alex’s mouth seemed to move stiffly as if they were trying to use it, but it would not obey. Newt wondered about the structure of their jaw. If perhaps the ability to unhinge somehow interfered with their ability to use it for other things. 

Newt had become distracted enough for Alex to get away. When he came out of his thoughts, he noticed the sulking Niffler, but no Alex. Looking around, he still did not see Alex, and ran off to find him.

Not to his surprise, Newt found Alex in his shack again. This seemed to be the spot Alex enjoyed the most. Alex was once again in Newt’s bed, but they were sitting on it this time. Newt stared as he saw his old Hufflepuff scarf was wrapped loosely around Alex’s neck.

Newt looked amused as he reached out to take the scarf from him.

Alex pushed his hand away.

Newt furrowed his brows as he tried again to take the scarf.

Alex again pushed his hand away.

This time, Newt didn’t try to take it. Alex kept watching him, eyes unblinking. They reached up and clumsy fingers wove into the fabric, trying to tie it or tighten it. When they couldn’t, Alex dropped their hands back to the bed.

This time, Newt swore he saw a bit of sadness in those white eyes…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you like it so far. Comments give me life.


	5. The Magazines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt experiments with Alex

Alex was sitting on the ground as Newt spread out some magazines in front of them. The scarf was still wrapped around Alex’s neck, but now it was properly tied by Newt’s hands. For research sake, Newt had decided to try the idea of Alex having once been human. He’d let Alex pick out some clothing and buy them if they weren’t too expensive.

Alex tilted their head as they looked at the magazines, hands still fiddling with the scarf. They reached out and turned a page. They turned another page. Now they seemed to be interested in the pictures in the magazines. Maybe because of the colors. Maybe because of the clothes. Either way, Newt sat down to watch.

Alex turned a few more pages before they found something they liked. It was a woman advertising a gray coat. Alex tore the page from the magazine and set it aside. Newt scribbled in his notebook, recording Alex’s actions. He noted the model and wondered if Alex was female. But the page was set aside, so maybe it meant something different…

Alex tore out another page. This was was a woman advertising a hair wrap. Alex set this page next to the first and went back to the magazine. Was Alex arranging the pages somehow? Were they just tearing out random ones?

The third page had a male’s vest that was black with white pinstripes. This page again went next to the other two. The next page was a long brown leather coat. This page went next to the other pages as well. It wasn’t until the next page that advertised a long modest evening gown that Newt realized they were different piles. This one Alex set atop the page that had the hair wrap.

The next page had a fedora. That joined the page with the leather coat. After that, Alex picked up the next magazine. Newt tried to make sense of the piles. Was Alex trying to recreate outfits? What kind of outfits? Did Alex wear any of these? Did Alex know people who wore these? Had they seen them before?

A woman’s black hat joined the grey coat. A long black coat for men joined the vest. Finally, a pair of spats joined the coat and vest. Alex set the magazine aside and stared at the piles of pages. 

Newt still had no way of knowing if the clothes could reflect Alex’s gender or not. There was too much lost in translation to draw any real conclusions, but Newt still wrote everything down.

Alex looked over the piles and finally picked one up. This pile contained the coat, the vest, and the spats. Alex held them close, pressing them against their chest. When they let go, the pages fell to the ground. Alex gathered them up and tried again, but got the same response. This time, they didn’t pick the pages up. Newt took the pages instead and looked them over. The coat could be purchased, and it would give Alex the most coverage. Maybe they could use some shoes too. The rest Newt would have to worry about when he docked.

Newt suddenly got an idea. He gathered the magazines and pages and rushed back to his shed. Digging through the dresser revealed an old green coat. He took it back outside and presented it to Alex. The creature tilted their head again and looked confused. 

“Here,” Newt said. “Let me help.”

It took some work because of Alex’s long limbs, but Newt managed to get the coat on the creature. It didn’t fit fell because of how skinny the other was, but Alex still looked pleased with the coat. They brushed some dust from the coat and walked off, leaving Newt alone. 

Newt scribbled a few more things into his notebook before heading off to start feeding the other creatures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you like it so far. Comments give me life.


	6. The Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugo the Niffler gives Alex a gift

Newt continued his study of Alex as his journey on the ship continued. Every observation and theory he kept neatly written in his book.

_Their eyes are purest white and empty of iris or pupil. Or perhaps they are there but are hidden. Without a proper face or eyes, emotion should be very hard to convey, and yet a certain melancholy seems to haunt those blank orbs. There is a certain level of humanity that clings to them like moss to a tree. I wonder if it’s what fuels the legends about these creatures once being human._

_Communication does not seem very possible, and it frustrates us both. Alex seems to be able to understand human speech, or understand gestures. It is slow, but comprehension eventually dawns in their eyes. Alex is incapable of human speech, though they continue to work their mouth as if trying to repeat my words back to me…_

Newt sighed as he looked out at his beasts. Alex was curled up on the ground still wearing the coat and scarf Newt had gifted them. Newt wondered if they preferred the clothes simply for warmth. Perhaps Alex was cold blooded and depended on outside sources for heat. It would make sense. Newt had been trying so hard to not let the legends and folklore sway his observations into thinking that Alex had indeed once been human, but it was getting more and more difficult each day.

The Niffler ran up to their newest guest, and Newt watched him take a pocket watch from his pouch and offer it to Alex. Strange… Hugo the Niffler never offered his loot to anyone. Alex hadn’t moved even to acknowledge Hugo, but the Niffler kept pawing and poking at the hand that lay on the ground. Slowly, Alex turned to look at Hugo, tilting their head and saying nothing.

Hugo once again offered the pocket watch, but this time Alex took it. They held it in their hands and slowly ran their fingers over its shiny surface. They popped it open and regarded the face of the clock within. Hugo made some odd snorts and chitters, crawling into Alex’s lap. Alex continued to caress the pocket watch, slowly dragging their fingers around the edge. They did it again and again, eyes narrowing in concentration. Were they looking for something?

Finally, their fingers stopped at the crown of the watch. Fingers clenched to and fro as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Slowly, Alex began to turn the crown. They did again. And again. And again. Faster and faster until they were turning it with meaning, with intent. Finally, the crown stopped and a ticking sound came from the newly wound watch. Hugo excitedly clambered up Alex’s long arm and took the watch back, holding it to his ear. He jumped away from Alex and began to walk off.

Newt scribbled in his notebook as Hugo slowly turned around and waddled back to Alex. He once again took the watch out and handed it over to Alex, patting their black knuckles and chittering once again. Alex watched Hugo waddle away and turned their attention back to the watch.

_Why do the locals believe these creatures to be humans who had their skin stolen? Is it because of the human like behaviors they exhibit, or is Alex a special case? Further research is needed, but I have no idea how or where to find more. They are native to the last village, but Alex was smuggled from New York. Are there more there? Are these beasts born in the wilderness like other animals… or are they created through certain events? Much like an obscurus-_

Newt suddenly looked up and stared at Alex. The beast had turned to look at him, still holding the ticking watch. Long fingers closed the watch and blank eyes never left Newt’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you like it so far. Comments give me life.


End file.
